Ezr 1:1
1:1 Now in the {a} first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the
    word of the LORD by the {b} mouth of Jeremiah might be
    fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the {c} spirit of Cyrus king
    of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his
    kingdom, and [put it] also in writing, saying,

 The Argument - As the Lord is always merciful to his Church,
    and does not punish them, but so that they should see their
    own miseries, and be exercised under the cross, that they
    might contemn the world, and aspire to the heavens: so after
    he had visited the Jews, and kept them in bondage 70 years
    in a strange country among infidels and idolaters, he
    remembered his tender mercies and their infirmities, and
    therefore for his own sake raised up a deliverer, and moved
    both the heart of the chief ruler to pity them, and also by
    him punished those who had kept them in slavery.
    Nonetheless, lest they should grow into a contempt of God's
    great benefits, he keeps them still in exercise, and raises
    domestic enemies, who try as much as they can to hinder
    their worthy enterprises: yet by the exhortation of the
    prophet they went forward little by little till their work
    was finished. The author of this book was Ezra, who was a
    priest and scribe of the Law, as in @Ezr 7:6. He
    returned to Jerusalem the sixth year of Darius, who
    succeeded Cyrus, that is, about fifty years after the first
    return under Zerubbabel, when the temple was built. He
    brought with him a great company and much treasure, with
    letters to the king's officers for all things needed for the
    temple: and at his coming he fixed that which was amiss, and
    set things in order.

    (a) After he and Darius had won Babylon.
    (b) Who promised deliverance to them after 70 years were
        past, @Jer 25:12.
    (c) That is, moved him and gave him heart.

Ezr 1:2
1:2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath
    given me {d} all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath
    charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which [is] in
    Judah.

    (d) For he was chief monarch and had many nations under his
        dominion, which this heathen king confesses to have
        received from the living God.

Ezr 1:4
1:4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth,
    {e} let the men of his place help him with silver, and with
    gold, and with goods, and with beasts, {f} beside the
    freewill offering for the house of God that [is] in
    Jerusalem.

    (e) If any through poverty were not able to return, the
        king's commission was that he should be furnished with
        all he needed.
    (f) Which they themselves should send for the repairing of
        the temple.

Ezr 1:6
1:6 And all {g} they that [were] about them strengthened their
    hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and
    with beasts, and with precious things, beside all [that] was
    willingly offered.

    (g) The Babylonians and Chaldeans gave them these presents:
        thus rather than have the children of God be in need, he
        would stir the heart of the infidels to help them.

Ezr 1:8
1:8 Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand
    of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto {h}
    Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

    (h) So the Chaldeans called Zerubbabel who was the chief
        governor, so that the preeminence still remained in the
        house of David.

Ezr 1:9
1:9 And this [is] the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a
    thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty {i} knives,

    (i) Which served to kill the beasts that were offered in
        sacrifice.

Ezr 1:11
1:11 All the vessels of gold and of silver [were] five thousand
     and four hundred. All [these] did Sheshbazzar bring up {k}
     with [them of] the captivity that were brought up from
     Babylon unto Jerusalem.

     (k) With the Jews who had been kept captive in Babylon.



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